By Forris Day JR
Animation is everywhere. It is used, of course, in funny pages (can I call them that?) in the newspaper and cartoons on TV. It is also used in hundreds of other ways that you may not think of. Video games use animation, comic books use it, and yes, even films use it. It is used in all kinds of media but have you ever taken a moment and studied how animation is used? How can a drawing, sometimes with no words, tell a whole story? Are there secret tricks these artists use to convey their message? How can you learn to use animation in your creative projects?
The answers are all in the book “Animation Unleashed” by Ellen Besen. It is a book that covers dozens and dozens of principles and techniques that all successful animators use everyday. You will learn how to add motion to your drawings. She teaches you how to add the illusion of sound to a still drawing. Besen teaches you how to bring your characters to life by giving them personality using facial expression and body language. “Animation Unleashed” is not a book that teaches you how to draw, but rather a book that teaches how to add life to your drawings.
Many topics are covered including creating animated credits for your film that tie into the concept of your movie. Stop making dull credits, make credits that become part of the story. Imagine making a movie that people want to stay and watch the end credits scroll by! You can do it by using the lessons you’ll learn in “Animation Unleashed”.
Other topics covered are background, props, special effects, character performance and many others. Creating animation is very similar to writing a script. Both must tell a story. A script uses words to tell its story and animation uses visual elements to do it. In the case of an animated film a script and the drawings have to work hand in hand to create a message.
I like to doodle but I am in no way an artist. With that said even I learned some techniques that I can bring into my doodles and turn them into masterpieces. Well, ok, maybe not masterpieces. The things I learned will help me in my filmmaking projects for sure. I never thought about using any kind of animation in my projects and now my mind is spinning.
Anyone who is creative and enjoys drawing or does it for a living will find valuable information in this book. Whether you are a casual doodler like myself, an art teacher or student, or even a major filmmaker, I feel there are lessons to be learned to help us all be more creative in “Animation Unleashed”.
Purchase “Animation Unleashed”
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